Westerly 1970s all fiberglass 26 footer. Previous owner replaced mast
and rigging but in the process installed deck mounted connectors (good
quality marine type) for the mast wiring that allowed water to get
into a substantial wooden block buried in the deck under the mast
step. That block is further supported by a stainless steel column
that goes down to the keel.

During winter storage the water soaked wood burst the f.glass deck
around the mast step. It's now all replaced.

Now wondering best way to connect the revamped mast wiring (Approx.
seven wires plus an RG58 coax. for the top of the mast VHF whip).**

Certainly resolved to have any wiring holes and/or mounting screws
well away from the wooden block. Also maybe prefer not to have any
connectors at all?

That would mean poking the bunch of wires from the mast through
something (a caulked hole or gland or ???) in the deck to be, say,
connected individually once per season to a terminal strip in the
toilet ('Head') compartment below. Pondering various alternatives.

Any advice please would be most appreciated.

BTW ** We now have all the nav. lights on the mast rather than lower
down on the hull and cabin sides of the boat. The original (previously
replaced!) stern light for example was for ever getting stepped on and
damaged. The individual cabin side port/starboard lights had long ago
been replaced by a red/green bow pulpit one that also suffered damage
and or got tangled with jib sheets etc. Any comments/advice on this
also appreciated.

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 06:59:51 -0700, terry
wrote:

Westerly 1970s all fiberglass 26 footer. Previous owner replaced mast
and rigging but in the process installed deck mounted connectors (good
quality marine type) for the mast wiring that allowed water to get
into a substantial wooden block buried in the deck under the mast
step. That block is further supported by a stainless steel column
that goes down to the keel.

During winter storage the water soaked wood burst the f.glass deck
around the mast step. It's now all replaced.

Now wondering best way to connect the revamped mast wiring (Approx.
seven wires plus an RG58 coax. for the top of the mast VHF whip).**

Certainly resolved to have any wiring holes and/or mounting screws
well away from the wooden block. Also maybe prefer not to have any
connectors at all?

That would mean poking the bunch of wires from the mast through
something (a caulked hole or gland or ???) in the deck to be, say,
connected individually once per season to a terminal strip in the
toilet ('Head') compartment below. Pondering various alternatives.

Any advice please would be most appreciated.

BTW ** We now have all the nav. lights on the mast rather than lower
down on the hull and cabin sides of the boat. The original (previously
replaced!) stern light for example was for ever getting stepped on and
damaged. The individual cabin side port/starboard lights had long ago
been replaced by a red/green bow pulpit one that also suffered damage
and or got tangled with jib sheets etc. Any comments/advice on this
also appreciated.

If I were you I'd pull all the wiring is it looked at all "old" and
replace it. The RG58 I would replace with low loss cable - ping larry
for details there.

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

So, 1 ground, 1 RF coaxial, 4 positive = 6 wires. If you install
spreader lights, which are nice at night, then it is 1 more wire.
Remember that the ground has to carry the return for 4 separate
lights.

Id bring all the wires out the side of the mast just above the foot
and build or buy an inverted "J" shaped electrical entrance fitting
large enough to take all the wires plus the coax fitting. I looked
around but couldn;t find a picture of the entrance fitting but it
would be about a 1-1/4 - 1-1/2 inch stainless "U" fitting with a short
section welded to one leg so it looks like a "J". The longer leg is
welded to a flange and you just bore a hole in the deck, waterproof
the deck core with a bit of epoxy resin and install the fitting with
screws through the flange, using proper marine caulking.

Then when the mast is up you poke the wires through the elbow and down
to a junction box somewhere inside the boat.

Do use proper boat wire, or equipment wire it may be called. Tin
coated copper stranded wire, anyway Costs a bit more and lasts a lot
longer.



..


Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.



Nope. The tricolor is only good while sailing. When motoring, you must
use traditional side lights.

bob
s/v Eolian
Seattle

Terry,
This is a very common problem and common sense provides the solution. First
do not use a connector. Instead use an old fashion bakelite terminal strip.
Second, all mast wires exit the mast above the deck and make a "U" turn up
into a "J" pipe in stainless and then back down below deck to the terminal
block. In this way, all condensation and rain water that drips down the mast
wires drips off the wires above deck. At the entrance to the "J" pipe
install a soft rubber gland with a hose clamp on the wires and on the
stainless pipe. Problem solved. When removing mast, just disconnect the
wires from the terminal block below deck, loosen the rubber gland hose clamp
at the "J" pipe and remove the wires as a laced bundle with the rubber
gland.
Steve

"terry" wrote in message
ups.com...
Westerly 1970s all fiberglass 26 footer. Previous owner replaced mast
and rigging but in the process installed deck mounted connectors (good
quality marine type) for the mast wiring that allowed water to get
into a substantial wooden block buried in the deck under the mast
step. That block is further supported by a stainless steel column
that goes down to the keel.

During winter storage the water soaked wood burst the f.glass deck
around the mast step. It's now all replaced.

Now wondering best way to connect the revamped mast wiring (Approx.
seven wires plus an RG58 coax. for the top of the mast VHF whip).**

Certainly resolved to have any wiring holes and/or mounting screws
well away from the wooden block. Also maybe prefer not to have any
connectors at all?

That would mean poking the bunch of wires from the mast through
something (a caulked hole or gland or ???) in the deck to be, say,
connected individually once per season to a terminal strip in the
toilet ('Head') compartment below. Pondering various alternatives.

Any advice please would be most appreciated.

BTW ** We now have all the nav. lights on the mast rather than lower
down on the hull and cabin sides of the boat. The original (previously
replaced!) stern light for example was for ever getting stepped on and
damaged. The individual cabin side port/starboard lights had long ago
been replaced by a red/green bow pulpit one that also suffered damage
and or got tangled with jib sheets etc. Any comments/advice on this
also appreciated.

wrote:

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

Bruce in Bangkok

I don't know what the rules are in Bangkok, but in the States and most
European countries the mast light (aka "steaming light") must be mounted
_above_ the other lights (red/green/stern) when under power (or for that
matter when the engine is running even when not in gear)..

This means obviously that using a masthead tricolor with a steaming light
mounted somewhere lower on the mast is in violation.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare

"Armond Perretta" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

Bruce in Bangkok

I don't know what the rules are in Bangkok, but in the States and most
European countries the mast light (aka "steaming light") must be mounted
_above_ the other lights (red/green/stern) when under power (or for that
matter when the engine is running even when not in gear)..

This means obviously that using a masthead tricolor with a steaming light
mounted somewhere lower on the mast is in violation.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare





This is not correct.

http://www.answers.com/topic/navigation-lights

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:54:07 -0400, "Armond Perretta"
wrote:

This means obviously that using a masthead tricolor with a steaming light
mounted somewhere lower on the mast is in violation.

Yes. You need to have another set of nav lights down near deck level
for motoring. I don't believe that any reasonable person would regard
running the engine out of gear for battery charging purposes as
motoring.

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:54:07 -0400, "Armond Perretta"
wrote:

wrote:

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

Bruce in Bangkok

I don't know what the rules are in Bangkok, but in the States and most
European countries the mast light (aka "steaming light") must be mounted
_above_ the other lights (red/green/stern) when under power (or for that
matter when the engine is running even when not in gear)..

This means obviously that using a masthead tricolor with a steaming light
mounted somewhere lower on the mast is in violation.


You are right. The tri-color masthead light with a clear anchor light
built into the fixture above the tri-color is a pretty common fixture.
I was incorrect in saying or implying that the steaming light was to
be mounted below the tri-color. It must be above the side lights.


Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeATgmailDOTcom)

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:45:18 -0500, "KLC Lewis"
wrote:


"Armond Perretta" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Use a tricolor with an integral anchor light on the mast head and a
motoring light at the spreaders. That should be sufficient.

Bruce in Bangkok

I don't know what the rules are in Bangkok, but in the States and most
European countries the mast light (aka "steaming light") must be mounted
_above_ the other lights (red/green/stern) when under power (or for that
matter when the engine is running even when not in gear)..

This means obviously that using a masthead tricolor with a steaming light
mounted somewhere lower on the mast is in violation.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare





This is not correct.

http://www.answers.com/topic/navigation-lights

Your link agrees with what Armond said. The picture "Under Sail"
shows the masthead tri-color. The picture "Under Power" shows the
red-green bow and the white stern with the higher white steaming
light.

Steve

"Steve" wrote in message
...
Your link agrees with what Armond said. The picture "Under Sail"
shows the masthead tri-color. The picture "Under Power" shows the
red-green bow and the white stern with the higher white steaming
light.

Steve

I seem to recall reading, somewhere, that sailing vessels under 39' can
combine the stern and steaming lights into the masthead tri-color. But I may
be mistaken.